Let’s face it. Not all of us have oodles of time to spend in our garden. We may aspire to it, but the reality is our life can pull us in different directions. That being said, there’s no reason why we can’t maintain lush garden beds throughout the growing season. That’s where Gardening From a Hammock comes in. The idea being that once you plant all of the low-maintenance recommendations (the ones that are suited to your garden’s conditions, of course), you will have the time to sit back and enjoy your handiwork—or attend to all the other activities that require your time.

The authors, Ellen Novack (who has been writing our Low-maintenance Monday guest blogs) and master gardener Dan Cooper, have sought out well-known, Canadian gardeners to provide their low-maintenance picks and growing advice. While reading the book I felt I was privy to some important secrets—tips that I’ve applied (or made a list to apply) to my own garden.

What makes this book unique:I love how the authors sought out a diverse mix of gardeners to provide their recommendations. Everyone’s growing experiences are different, so it’s interesting to see what works best for some and not for others. A handy chart at the end of the book provides quick, at-a-glance info for busy green thumbs. And an underlying theme (intentional or not) of the book is about helping the environment.